UK version of BOB

nun

In the States there is a well developed cycling sub culture/group called BOBs (Bridgestone Owners Bunch). You don't necessarily have to own a classic Bridgestone bike, just like practical bikes with decent tyre clearance, rack mounts, and a "French fit" riding position. There is a great website showing examples of such classic bikes at

www.cyclofiend.com/cc

and the "high priest" of this culture is Grant Petersen who's Rivendell (bad name, good bikes) company site has a lot of info.

www.rivbike.com

Is there anything similar in the UK. The US BOB group often fantasizes about UK cycling with its saddlebags and tea shops, like the Rough stuff folks do.

rendo

I suppose the UK version would be the audax scene.
But really, that is just FGG with gears.

nun

rendo wrote:

I suppose the UK version would be the audax scene.
But really, that is just FGG with gears.

There is a big overlap between BOBs and brevet/audax/sportive riding and many are members of Randonneurs USA

http://www.rusa.org/

and work up to events like Boston-Montreal-Boston, LEL and PBP. But there's also a component that likes 3 speed city bikes, touring and bikes with baskets on the front. So where do you go in the UK to find folks who like lugged steel bikes with lots of tyre clearance, Brooks saddles and Carradice Nelson Longflap saddle bags.

Tom753

CTC?

Greenbank

nun wrote:

rendo wrote:

I suppose the UK version would be the audax scene.
But really, that is just FGG with gears.

There is a big overlap between BOBs and brevet/audax/sportive riding and many are members of Randonneurs USA

http://www.rusa.org/

and work up to events like Boston-Montreal-Boston, LEL and PBP. But there's also a component that likes 3 speed city bikes, touring and bikes with baskets on the front. So where do you go in the UK to find folks who like lugged steel bikes with lots of tyre clearance, Brooks saddles and Carradice Nelson Longflap saddle bags.

Try Audax UK: www.audax.uk.net

There's quite a few people over at www.yacf.co.uk in the Audax sub-forum, mainly because AUK doesn't have its own forum, and the Yahoo! mailing list isn't very chatty.

Audax UK is the UK equivalent of RUSA that runs thousands of Brevets/Randonees/Audaxes, including LEL every 4 years (it's next year if you're interested, I've already put my entry in).

Me? 25mm tyres, mudguards, Brooks Swallow, SON dynohub, a Carradice Barley and a love of spending 30+ hours on a bike like this:-

http://www.greenbank.org/bikes/tempo/tempo6.jpg